The New Life (CD)

Girls Names

Amoeba Review

Billy Gil, Hollywood 03/12/2013

The Girls Names story is a little like reading a DIY 101 for bands — frontman Cathal Cully formed the band to support Wavves at a 2009 show, despite having never been in a band, and enlisted friends who had to be taught their instruments. But their debut, Dead to Me, was a scrappy delight of post-punk influenced lo-fi dream pop, and their sophomore album, The New Life, is such a mature, assured affair, their humble beginnings are all but forgotten. Instead of going for the jugular, Girls Names songs build slowly with eerie, echoed chords, vocals just out of reach and an insistent, primal beat driving the whole thing. Songs like “Drawing Lines” gently unfurl but aren’t boring — the song’s fuzzy surf-rock riff in its final portion surprises but feels earned. “Hypnotic Regression” does forebears Echo & the Bunnymen proud with cleverly layered guitarwork, built on a strong and simple frame, and Cully intones “this is my last confession” with new confidence. When you wish they’d stop moping a bit and rock out, they do, on the exciting last portion of the otherwise dreamy “Occultation” and in the epic title track. Smiths, Talk Talk and Cure fans can rejoice that one of those bands’ followers has really gotten it right on The New Life.